Root eradicator



March 13, 1928.

G. T. MINSHALL ROOT ERADICATOR Filed Sept. 6, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 13, 1926. 6 1,662,467

G. T. MINSHALL ROOT ERADICATOR Filed Sept. 6, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a iqqsogyaj fi 21 0 Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

GEORGE 'r. MINSHALL, or ELKHOBN, Wisconsin.

ROOT ERADICATOR.

Application filed September 6, 1923. Serial in. 661,212.

This invention relates to root eradicators.

In plowing fields diiiiculty has been experienced in preventing the roots which have been dug up by the plow from again growing. The roots usually come up whole or intact and easily begin to grow again as they immediately fall into the soft upturned ground.

This invention is designed to overcome the above noted difficulties, and objects of this invention are, therefore, to provide a root eradicator which may follow a plow and prevent the plowed up roots from growing again, to provide a root eradicator which will operate upon the roots, which will separate the roots from the upturned earth, and which will collect the roots.

Further objects are to provide a root eradicator which is of simple and sturdy construction, which is provided with open or skeleton belts through which the dirt may fall, and which is equipped with yielding fingers which will shake the dirt from roots but which will yield when a stone becomes accidentally delivered to the belts.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in. the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a sectional elevation of the device corresponding roughly to a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2 with a portion of the apparatus broken away to illustrate the interior construction.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional'view on the line k4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail of a further form of finger.

The apparatus comprises a traveling member which is adapted to hook behind a plow or plows 1 and a colter or cutter 2 preceding the plow. If desired, means such as illustrated generally at 3, may be provided for varying the depth at which the plow operates.

The apparatus forming the subject matter of this invention comprises a frame 1 which may be formed of channel irons, as illustrated in the drawings, to secure the desired rigidity while keeping the weight down. This frame is supported by front and rear wheels 5 and 6, one or both of the front wheels 5 being rigidly secured to a front axle 7. y I 4 This front axle has rigidly secured thereto a driving gear 8 which meshes with a smaller pinion 9. The pinion 9 drives a shaft 10, upon which it is rigidly carried-'- the shaft 10 being journaled in thelower portion of the frame work. This shaft has attached adjacent its ends sprocket wheels '11 which engage a link chain 12. The rear portion of this endless chain is carriedby sprocket wheels 13 carried by a rear shaft suitably journaled in the lower portion of the frame work. i H p y i e I -An upper driving shaft 14; is journaled in the upper portion of the frame work and rigidly carries sprocket wheels 15 adjacent its ends and a driving pinion 16. This driving pinion is connected through a pair of idler gears 17 and 18 with the pinion 9, and,

itis to be noted that the proportioning of the gears 9 and 16 is such that the rate of revolution of the shaft 10 is approximately twice that of the shaft 14. A link chain 19 is provided'for each of the sprocket wheels 15 similar to the pair oflink chains 12, and a pair of rear sprocket wheels 20 are pro vided for supporting the rear end of these chains. Theehains 12 and the chains 19 haveccertain of the links, as illustrated in Figure 3, provided with inwardly projecting trunnions 21 upon which are mounted socketed bars 22, as illustrated in Figure 4.

These bars are provided with outwardly pro- I jecting pins 23, which, in the fornrillustrated in Figures 1 to 46, are rigid therewith. The bars 22 are prevented from turning under usual conditions out of their normal position by lllOilIlS'Of spiral springs 24 which have one end rigidly attached to such bars and the other end, as indicated at 24, eyeletted and carried by the connecting pins 25 of the links, as may be seen from Figures 3 and 4. This, it will be seen, provides a yielding set of fingers and also provides a.

skeleton or open work pair of belts.

A further form which these fingers may take is illustrated in Figure 5 in which the rods 26 are rigidly carried by the links 19 i and. have secured thereto resilient fingers 27 which may, if desired, take the form of leaf springs as illustrated. A plurality of rods 28 extend the full length of the machine and are secured at their forward and rear ends to transverse bars 29 and 30 respectively. Their forward and rear ends may be curved or slanting. as illustrated in Figure 1, to facilitate the passage thereover of the roots.

Adjacent the front of the machine a shaft 31 is journaled and driven from the shaft 10 by snitiahle pulleys and a belt This shaft is provided with a drum 33 over which passes an elevating eonveyor whose tor- \vard end travels over a drum 35 immedi ately to the r*ar of the plows l.

Adjacent the rear of the machine the lowe1 side frames extend and receive a root receiving reeeptat-le il -t into wh ch the roots are adapted to he diseharged from the machine.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol- 1OWSZ-4A the plo v dravve the maehine across the tield the roots amt the FOll tall upon the conveyor ll which quickly elevate it and it? is thrown on to the hars 35%. This material is engaged h v the lingers 23 of the open or skeleton hell and hroken up and drawn rearn'ardl v through the machine;- the dirt. falling" freely through the open hell.

Although hoth helta have heen tleeeril'ied as open frame work helte. it may he found de irahle under certain conditions to form the upper helt of a closed construction. AlPo although fingers are the pr ferrtal form of the invention such fingers projecting outin'ardl from the helta. it may. under certain conditions he found possihle to eliminate the fingers and locate the helte more clo ely adja ent each other than shown in the draw inesf. and in thisv tray roll or hrealt the dirt directly hetiveen the hells.

Tt. it; to he particularly noted that the lower helt travels at approximately twiee the speed of the upper hell and ctmi etpientlv the intermeshin l lingers Q-l of the upper and lower helts act to hreak up the dirt and to kno k the dirt from the roots. The roots are diseharged from the helt into the. rear root reeeiving hopper Ill and are thus colleeted.

It will he seen. theretore, thatv a root. eradieator haa heen provided \vhieh will separate the dirt from the roots, and which will collect the roots.

Although a ten forms of the invention have heen described in considerable detail. it to he understood that the invention. may he variously embodied and is, therefore, to he limited only as claimed.

' I claim:

A root eradit-ator comprising an upper frame memher and a lower frame memher. spacing memhera holding said frame menu hers apart. supporting wheels having shafts journalled in the lower frame memher. drums carried hy said lovrer frame meniher and spaced apart and positioned adjaeent the :front and rear of the machine, drums carried by the upper frame memher and spaced apart and poaitioned adjacent the ends of the machine, means for driving the drums from .--:aid wheels. :1 lower endless hell, carried hy said first mentioned drums, an upper endless helt earried h v said second mentioned drama. said helts havin horizontal Stlett'lll's positioned hetiveen said frame memhers and having teeth arranged in stag eered relation. said means: for driving the helt'a impartine different speeds to said helts. said lower frame memher extending forwardly and rearnardly heyond said tirst mentioned drums guiding: rods carried h eaid lower frame memher and projecting hevond said hello. a hopper carried h v the rear projeetint portion of said lower frame memher. said rods extending, into said hopper. and means for elevating soil aml root: and depositing auch soil and roots upon said guiding rods. \vherehy said soil and roots may he picked up h said lltlfi. and the roots hrolten hy the fingers carried hy said helts and deposited in said hopper.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing: I have hereunto set my hand at l llkhorn. in the county of \l'alworth and t 'tate of lVisconsin.

lEORHE 'l. MTNQITALL.

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